How to Make Your Ring Doorbell Picture Clearer

Ring Doorbell devices are usually reliable and operate without any major issues, though there are instances when the video or audio quality drops significantly. According to the official Ring support site, these problems are Wi-Fi-related most of the time.

This article will focus on the Ring Doorbell video quality, giving you some tips and tricks on how to improve it. You need the Ring Doorbell picture to be crisp, so you can see clearly who is approaching your front door.

If you wanted to guess who it is, you could just make a peephole on your door, instead of paying top dollar for this advanced device.

Ring Doorbell Devices

Before we begin discussing the picture quality of your Ring Doorbell, you should know what you are signing up for. The most basic differences between the Ring Doorbell devices are their installation methods, their power options, and video recording quality.

Since this article is mainly about the recording quality, let’s just quickly break all Ring Doorbell models into two groups:

The first category contains devices with 1080p recording resolution. Devices with the 1080p Full HD stream are Floodlight Cam, Spotlight Cam, Ring Video Doorbell 2, Ring Video Doorbell Pro, and Stick Up Cam.

All of the devices in the full HD category need a network with at least 1 Mbps upload and download speeds. They work even better with 2 Mbps and faster connections.

The 720p HD streaming devices are Stick Up Cam (vanilla) and the Ring Video Doorbell. They require 1 Mbps upload and download speeds for optimal performance, but faster connection speeds would also be beneficial for clearer picture.

You can easily run an online speed test to determine whether your network is fast enough or not. If you have less than 1 Mbps in either download or upload sections, you might want to consider upgrading.

Factors You Should Take Into Consideration

There are many factors that can obstruct your Ring Doorbell’s picture quality, but let’s start with the basic ones. First of all, make sure you are getting a good, strong signal on your Ring device.

Using the Ring application, look into the Device Health section and make sure the RSSI is good enough. RSSI stands for Received Signal Strength Indicator. You can do many things to improve signal strength if it is lacking.

First of all, make sure there are as few obstructions as possible between your Wi-Fi router and your Ring device. If your router is inside a cabinet or if it is obstructed by other furniture, move it and place it somewhere in the open, like your table for example.

Your Wi-Fi signal is not the only factor, however. Consider the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. If everyone in the house uses the same network and router, it’s no wonder the frame rate and resolution are bad. Try using the Ethernet cable on any device that supports it.

That way, you’re clearing out the Wi-Fi clutter, and allowing your Ring Doorbell device to work at its best. Sometimes, having a separate Wi-Fi connection for your Ring Doorbell device can do the trick. Some routers can split your internet connection into multiple networks.

Finally, make sure your Wi-Fi router is updated. If you have a really old router, e.g. you are using the same router for more than three years, contact your internet service provider and ask for an updated model.

Talking of ISPs, if you have a slow internet connection, perhaps you can upgrade your package and get better upload and download speeds. If your ISP doesn’t offer anything better, consider switching to a different ISP.

All the major ISPs in the United States, such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, offer excellent internet plans and services. The coverage is also a big factor, and if you live in a less populated area, do make sure to choose a provider with good coverage.

Ring Doorbell Picture Troubleshooting

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. If you have solid download and upload speeds, and your Wi-Fi signal strength is on point, here are some troubleshooting tips.

A clean reboot of your router might do the trick if you are experiencing pauses, stutters, or freezing of Ring Doorbell video footage. All you need to do is unplug the router, wait for about a minute and turn it back on.

Give your Ring device some time to reconnect and then test the picture quality to see if the reboot helped. Sometimes, the device you are using to view your Ring video stream might require a reboot. If your video comes with a heavy delay, the problem probably lies in your device. Reboot it, wait for a little, and start up the video again.

If nothing helps, your last resort might be getting a Wi-Fi extender, like the Ring Chime Pro. This will help improve the signal and, consequently, video quality of your Ring Doorbell. That is, if the problem is in the distance between your router and the device.

Parting Advice

This brings us to the conclusion of the article. However, we still have some final pieces of advice for you. You should look into the warranty of your Ring Doorbell and see if it still applies. Sometimes, the picture quality can deteriorate due to hardware issues within the device.

If that’s the case, all that’s left is to replace the device. Ring has excellent customer service that will help you resolve picture quality issues in no time. Do you have any thoughts or comments on this topic? Feel free to express them in the comments section.